Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (full name: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Ratcha Woraviharn, Thai: วัด พระ ธาตุ ดอย สุ เทพ ราชวรวิหาร ) is a Buddhist temple ( Wat ) in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. He is a Royal Temple Class Two.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the landmark of Chiang Mai and is located about 15 km west from the city center. Particularly well known is the vergoldetete Chedi, which is to contain a relic of the Buddha. The temple itself is reached by a long flight of stairs whose railings are decorated with snakes.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is located on the slopes of Doi Suthep mountain in the National Park Doi Suthep - Pui. The 261.06 km ² large park was opened in 1981 as the 24th national park of Thailand.
History of establishment
To the founding of Wat Doi Suthep located legends. One says that in 1371 the monk Sumana from Sukhothai a relic of the Buddha brought that should be kept in Wat Suan Dok in the local Chedi. However, suddenly announced the relic. It did not seem full of promise, now keep both parts there. So they fixed the second part on the back of a white elephant, which was then released. The elephant headed straight Doi Suthep Mountain, and after a three-day journey in which he made three times rest, he came to a ledge under which the hermit Wasuthep lived. There, the elephant trumpeted three times, knelt down and died. So there was no doubt that here was the place to build a temple to keep the relic.
First, a 7 -meter-high chedi was built inside which the relic was placed. In the reign of King Muang Kaeo, the chedi was enlarged in 1525 to a height of 16 meters and got its present octagonal shape with a diameter at the base of 12 meters. A road was first built in 1935 to the temple. This was done on the initiative of the famous monk Khru Ba Srivichai.
Attractions
- NagaTreppe - From the modern car park at the foot of the temple leads to the temple area by a staircase of 200 steps, the railing is made from the bodies of two giant Nagas. Stairs of this type are commonly seen in Lanna temples. This staircase was built by a certain " Phra Mekuti " in the 16th century.
- Statue of the hermit Wasuthep in the atrium.
- Glockenspiel - hanging in the atrium several rows of small bells that are struck by the pilgrims in turn with a wooden mallet.
- Bell Tower (Hor Rakhang ) - actually a Gong Tower, a gong of about 2 meters in diameter hangs here in a round building made of gray marble.
- Statue of the White Elephant in the atrium.
- Ambulatory ( Phra Rabieng ) - The actual sanctuary of the temple is surrounded by an inwardly open gallery, which was built in 1806 in the reign of King Chao Kawila. On the four sides of the gallery is interrupted by four buildings, two Viharns and two smaller chapels. Right and left of the Viharn the southwest wall are two stairs that provide access from the lower to the upper terrace. There are wall paintings from more recent times, which describe the life of the Buddha on the interior walls of the ambulatory.
- Viharn - on the inner walls of the southeastern viharn are wall paintings depicting the legend of the founding of the temple.
- The Golden Chedi - the octagonal Chedi covered with gilt copper plates. It is surrounded by a square fence, the upper half is gold plated. Chat to filigree, ceremonial umbrellas in Burmese style, the cube-shaped base with gold reliefs of mythological elephant Erawan Thai and mythological lions are at the four corners ( Singha ) are decorated, the golden standpipe is modeled on a bamboo pipe.
Impressions
Chimes in the atrium, along the outer wall of the Phra Rabieng
Buddha statues at the edge of the large Chedi
Crystal Buddha statue at the foot of the Chedi
Statues in Viharn
View from Wat Doi Suthep Chiang Mai over